The Demon's Flame
by The Whispering Sage
Summary: A large horned creature brought here from another world lays trapped in a cage at the mercy of it's master but when the master proves a friend can she trust him to help her get back home before it is to late? WARNING CONTAINS BLOOD AND GORE
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Anjali**

When I dream it is always of the freedom I had, never the servitude I endure but I suppose that is normal for most people. To dream of what they want the most but it is not normal for my kind. We are always free within our realm but should we leave it we are hunted down and killed. We were the stuff of legends but that day is long past and it may never come again.

I open my eyes only to see my "Master" standing near the walls of my cell staring intently at me. My newest Master was very tall and wore ragged blue robes and a featureless mask that might have once been silver but was now stained with dried blood. Why he didn't just get a new mask escaped me. "And how are you today my dear?" he said softly, his voice as smooth as silk. I just glared at him but he seemed to find that fascinating and stared even more intently at me. I remember my old master once called me a "Heavily Armed War Beast" and if that was true then what does my new master find so intriguing about me? I looked over at the small pool of water that ran into my cell and in it I could see a wavering reflection. What looked back at me was a tall female with red skin that fit over itself like armor and was harder than any known metal. The face looked the same but of a lighter red color with two large horns protruding from the forehead and curling around the side of the head until they reached the back where they formed sharp points and lastly were the eyes which were a deep crimson red. What the Master finds fascinating about all that I don't know. When I turned back to look at the Master he was still staring at me as intently as before. Does this guy have no life? No hobbies? Or is this his hobby? If so he should really get a new one because this won't get him many friends.

Eventually he stopped staring and left me alone with my thoughts. Why did I have to jump through that damn portal? If I had just ignored the portal and the whispers coming from it I wouldn't be in this mess. I would be home with my sister not trapped in some infernal cage. If only the sorcerer who summoned me here _didn't_ know how to contain me. But at least he isn't around anymore. The problem with summoning an all-powerful creature of fire and containing it is that other people want that power and will do anything to get it even if it means killing 20 or so guards, dousing the old sorcerer in lamp oil, and lighting him on fire. Not that I minded, it was quite fun listening to him scream. Still, he was better than the second guy who took his place. The second guy insisted that I call him "Master" so I did. He also insisted that I serve him and become his faithful bodyguard…I don't think I have ever laughed so much in one day as I did that day. Then came the third guy. He attacked when it got dark out and all the guards were standing at the entrance ready to repel him but he snuck around the back and attacked from the rear. The guards were unprepared for the attack and many died before they even knew what was happening. Or at least that is what he tells me as I could only hear the screams of the dying from my cage. I suppose it could be worse though, at least this guy is nice and doesn't threaten me all the time like the second master did. Though he does have his drawbacks…like the constant staring and his endless questions about how I got here and where I'm from. Like I'm going to tell him that! That knowledge will die with me because the last thing I need is for this creep to summon more of my kind and lock them in cages. Thankfully the Master doesn't seem to know how to make cages strong enough to hold me let alone more like me. How my first master made this cage is unknown and I hope it stays that way. After all if one of these new masters thinks they have made a fire-proof cage strong enough to hold me and try to test it using me then maybe I can get out of here. But that will likely never happen and even if it did it would take time. Better to just be patient for now…my time will come.

As I sat there thinking my Master appeared and started asking questions again. "How did you get here? Where are you from?" he asked repeatedly. He seems to think that if he asks enough times I will answer. Well he's in for a big surprise. Eventually he asked a different question, one that I had not heard before "What is your name?" At that question I raised my head and looked at him. He looked like he would burst with joy, all because he finally got me to react to his questioning, and not in a bad way. I looked at him for a few seconds and said, in a voice that seemed to echo in the small cell, "I don't have a name". The Master's jaw dropped slightly, his mask quivering, when I spoke. What? Did he think I couldn't speak? Or was he shocked that I was answering him? I'd vote for the latter. It took my Master a few seconds to gather his wits, if he had any left, and finally compose a response "Why?" Instead of responding, like he hoped I would, I just turned away and went back to staring at the ground. The Master looked sad but still excited that he could get me to speak. He stood and walked down the hallway, letting the darkness consume him as he went.

I waited a few minutes, until I was sure the Master had left, before I got up off the ground and walked around my small cell. It wasn't much to look at but it was all I had. It looked like this was once a cave, just large enough to stand in, but now it had red metal bars covering the exit and hugging the rock face. Aside from the small pool of water I also had a bedroll laid out in the corner. Lastly there was a small hole, about the size of my head, cut into the rock face that lead into a small room higher up, they used it to send me anything I might need, not that there was much of that going on. But how were they to know? I walked over to my bedroll, laid down, and fell asleep.

Hours later the Master visited me again and started asking the dreaded questions again. Did he ever sleep?! I just laid there and ignored him. He tried just about everything to get me to talk again but to no avail. In the end he just sat on the ground and looked at me. I sat up and looked right back at him. We sat there for a while staring at each other before he finally asked "Why won't you talk to me?" I just kept on staring. Eventually he stood up and turned but before he could walk away I said softly "Why should I?" The Master whipped around so fast his mask nearly fell off. After righting his crooked mask he stared at me with wide eyes. Why does he act so surprised? I already talked to him once so it's not like it's something new. The Master continued to stare for about another minute before doing something I never would have thought possible for him…he left. No questions. Not one. Weird.

Several hours later the Master returned but this time he just sat down near the cage and waited for me to sit up. When I did he said "I have always asked you questions but today you can ask any of your questions to me". This was new. Was this some kind of trap? Would he just ignore me like I have him? I don't know but why not give it a try? I thought for a few seconds and said "Why do you wear a mask?" He looked only faintly surprised, maybe he was finally used to me talking, before his expression clouded over with sadness. He reached up and pulled the mask from his face and what I saw there was answer enough. His face was horribly burned on the left side but on the right side it looked like it was melted into his skull. His left eye was as clear blue as the sky but his right was as cloudy as milk. He probably couldn't see much out of it. "This is why" was all he said before putting his mask back on and waiting for the next question.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked next. The Master looked thoughtful for a moment then said "I didn't. I knew that someone had summoned a creature of great power and that if such a creature agreed to cooperate with such greedy men that the result would be disasters. Little did I know that you hardly talk to anyone at all, least of all selfish men." You could hear the smile in his voice as he said this, even if you couldn't see it. "But back to the question. I heard about you from a smuggler who was selling food and supplies to the warlord who was here before." So that was what my second master was, a Warlord. Good to know. "I knew I had to get rid of him before he convinced you to join him. Well, that or just beat you within an inch of your life until you obeyed him. Neither of which I wanted to happen." He said all this while looking at me through the bars of the cage, his gaze as steady as it has ever been. I looked into his eyes, one clear one cloudy, and said "I would have liked to see him try."

The Master looked at the bars of the cage and said "I have wondered if this cage was magically warded to keep you contained or if you stayed of your own free will. I'm going to guess it's warded. Otherwise you would have acted by now and likely ripped those guards to pieces along with their warlord master." He continued to stare at the bars for some time before he realized I was staring at him. I had moved closer as he was talking and now I sat close enough to touch him, were the cage not in the way. The Master seemed shocked that I was this close to him. I looked at him through the bars and said "Do you know what happens when I touch this cage?" He shook his head, as expected. I raised my left hand and grabbed the nearest bar. The effect was instantaneous and very painful. My hand started smoking and then it started to melt, the thick skin turned into black gooey liquid and went slithered down the bar hissing as it went, and only then did I finally rip my hand free of the bar. I then raised my hand again and showed it to the Master. He looked at me with a stunned expression before turning his attention over to my hand, or what was left of it. The hand was mostly a dark brown color now, with black blood flowing down it like a corrupt waterfall. The Master was still stunned but he was also examining my hand as closely as the bars would let him. After enduring this for a few minutes I pulled my hand away and moved back to my old spot on the far side of the cell. The Master looked concerned but didn't say anything as he slowly got up and left.

A few hours later the Master returned. "How is your hand?" he asked. I turned my head to look at him and raised my left hand. The look on the Master's face was priceless! His jaw dropped as he gazed upon my hand. The skin had healed and was, once again, thick and tough. It showed no sign that it had been burned to a crisp and melted. It looked perfectly fine, without so much as a scratch. The Master was amazed at how fast the skin healed and began imminently asking questions…which I ignored. After a few minutes of this he finally stopped talking and sat down on the ground. "You don't talk much do you?" he asked curiously. "Don't worry" I said "you talk enough for the both of us." The Master laughed at this and said "That is true. I do talk a lot, but that is because I love to learn and how else is one to learn if no questions are ever asked?" I merely grunted in reply but he didn't seem to mind. "Besides, you are something that has never been seen in our realm before or at least not with in the last few centuries." He continued on happily with his little history lesson, believing that I cared about this realm's history…which I didn't. Eventually he stopped and said "Sorry, I do tend to get carried away when talking about history. I'm a scholar you see. I teach history to those who wish to expand their knowledge about the world." So the Master is a scholar and a teacher. Interesting. "So" I said "You learn and you teach. Do you know what that makes you?" The Master shook his head. "That makes you a Magister" I said. He tilted his head thoughtfully and said "Maybe, magister does mean teacher only in a different language. But how did you know that?" I only smiled and said "I know more than you think…Magister." He shook his head "Is that what you're going to call me now?" he asked; the smile once again evident in his voice. I nodded to the Master, now known as Magister, and said "Now you have a name that I understand". At this statement the Magister looked confused so I said "Your names don't mean anything. Henry, Arthur, George, these names mean nothing to me. They have no meaning and you learn nothing from them." The Magister nodded in agreement "You are right" he said "Our names don't mean anything because it is just something to call us by. It doesn't need to have meaning behind it. Am I to guess that where you're from your names mean something?" I nodded slowly. "Then what is _your_ name?" he asked. I shook my head and said "I already told you, I don't have a name." The Magister nodded and said "Well, it's late and I think I have bothered you enough for one day." Then he got up and left without another word.

The next day was quiet…too quiet. Something big was about to happen. But being stuck in a cage as I was I wouldn't know about it until it happened so I waited. Eventually a group of soldiers came running down the hallway; the lack of torches made their faces difficult to see but as they ran past my cell one of them stopped. He was male, roughly 30 years old, wearing a leather vest with a lion, mid-roar, painted on it. In his left hand he held a metal kite shield and in his right he carried a large mace. The look on his face was one of fear and terror. He stood frozen to the spot even when one of the other soldiers turned back and barked an order at him he didn't even blink. Eventually the other soldier moved behind him and pushed him along, never once looking at me, down the dark hallway. I think that soldier wetted himself. Why did he look so scared? Was that because of me? Do I really look so scary to these creatures? I thought about it for a while but eventually gave up. How am I supposed to know what they think? The rest of the day was uneventful but the feeling of something big happening never left me.

Sometime during the middle of the night the Magister came to see me. He sat on the ground, as he always did now, and said "I think I have found a name for you." I looked at him and said "What makes you think I need a name?" my tone was calm but curious. He reached behind him and pulled a small leather book from the darkness. "As you said before, your kind has names that mean something. So I assume that you would like a name that means something to. If that is true then I think I have a name that fits you but if I assumed wrong then tell me now and I won't question it again." I thought about it for a few seconds before relenting "Ok, what's the name?" The Magister smiled "Anjali" he said then opened the small book and read.

"There is an old story written about a woman of pure flame. The story goes that this creature came from another realm and made her home in a great forest that surrounded a small village. She protected that village from anything she saw as a threat. Bandits, raiders, enemy soldiers, etc.… but she never once harmed the villagers and because of this she became a legend. The villagers would tell tales of her beauty and strength to any who would listen. People began to call her Anjali, no one knows why; maybe they just felt she deserved a name for all she had done. Many would travel into the forest to see her but few ever would and those who did caught only glimpses. Eventually a power-hungry warlord heard the tale and set off to recruit her for his endless war with the other warlords. He set off, with his small army of soldiers, into the forest and began looking for her. But Anjali knew the forest well and started to kill off the soldiers. One by one the soldiers died and they never saw what it was that killed them until it was too late. Eventually the warlord gathered his men together in an open field and waited. Only minutes later Anjali stepped out of the forest and faced the warlord. The man screamed at her promising her pain and suffering for what she had done to his soldiers. Eventually the crazed warlord drew his sword and ordered his men to attack her! When the battle was finally over all that was left was a pile of smoking bodies and the tattered remains of the warlord's body, scattered throughout the forest."

As the Magister closed the book and looked up he said "And that is where the tale ends. So do you think the name fits?" I had not moved as he told the story but merely closed my eyes so as to envision it. Now I finally opened them and looked at him. "I think you're right" I said and smiled "It's a good name". The Magister smiled back and held up the small book. "Do you want to read the story yourself…Anjali?" he asked kindly. I nodded once and moved over to him, or as close as the bars would let me, and waited. He lowered the book and fit it through the bars, careful never to touch them, until the book was half in and half out. I reached up with my hand and grabbed the rest book, drawing it through without touch the bars. "Thank you" I said and moved back to my old spot. The Magister looked overjoyed. This has been the happiest I have ever seen him. But despite all his happiness he was worried about something. He had managed to push it aside when he was telling the story but now it crept back into his thoughts. Maybe he will tell me what is bothering him at a later time. For now all he did was get up and leave, smiling the whole way.

I have read the small book several times now but questions still plague me. Was this Anjali like me? Was she from my realm? Why did she bother to help the small village? So many questions but the book held no answers. Of course not, it was just a story and stories have a way of leaving out details. Still it was kind of the Magister to find me a name but why bother? Does he just want something to call me by or is it something more? I can't even begin to guess the answer. At least the name sounds good but whether or not it fits me is another question…one I can't answer just yet.

A few hours later, sometime during the morning hours, another group of soldiers came running down the hallway and past my cage. Not one of them looked at me. Maybe they are under orders not to look into the small red cage? Whatever the answer many groups of soldiers came running down the hallway that day. Where were they all going in such a hurry? It reminded me of my Warlord Master. This was how he and his soldiers were acting right before they died. Maybe it was happening again. After a few minutes things began to quiet down. The soldiers stopped running and all was silent.

Until suddenly an explosion sounded in the distance. The walls shook and small pebbles rained down from the ceiling. The sound of many soldiers screaming reached my ears. They screamed and screamed until their throats were horse and still they screamed. The sound of fighting came next. Steel on steel, bones breaking, and the metallic smell of blood. The sounds got ever closer to my cage. It seems that the small area around my cage is to be the final battleground for this fight. The soldiers came rushing down the hallway and quickly began to make a barricade out of whatever they could find. The Magister was with them and was helping find stuff for the makeshift barricade. When that was finished the soldiers took up different places along the barrier and waited. The Magister spoke a few words to one of the soldiers then came over to my cage "Anjali" he said "we're under attack and we need your help". I laughed quietly at him "Hard to help when I'm stuck behind these bars" I said simply. You would think that much was obvious. The Magister reached into his pocket and pulled out a small key the same red color as that of the prison bars. "This" the Magister said pointing to the key "will free you from your cell." I slowly stood up and walked over to the bars "Why would you let me out? For all you know I might just kill all of you for the fun of it." I'm not sure why I was coming up for reasons why not to let me out. Maybe it was a test? Or a joke? The Magister looked up into my eyes and said "Because I trust you." That shocked me. Why would he trust me? I would have liked to think about what the answer was but I could hear the sounds of the enemy drawing close. The answer can wait. "Ok" I said and took a step back. The Magister took a deep breath, like he was preparing for something, and then he slid the key into the same bar that melted my hand. There was a soft click and the bars of the cage melted. They turned into a reddish brown color and melted into the ground leaving only small pools behind.

For the first time since I was summoned to this infernal realm I was free. I savored my freedom for a moment as I stepped over the small puddles and looked at a nearby soldier. "May I borrow your sword?" I asked politely; the man nodded and handed me the sword, his hand shaking. I looked at the weapon in my hand, not the most sturdy of weapons but well-kept and sharp as a razor. I raised the sword to my face and blew gently on it. The metal turned red then, slowly, flames began to engulf it. Soon the blade was covered in flames and I turned to the soldiers, who were all looking at me with amazement, and said "Raise you weapons." Swords, maces, spears, and daggers all rose high in the air and each one slowly caught fire. Soon all the weapons were a blaze with fire. When the enemy soldiers came rushing down the hallway and began climbing the barricade they were met with fire and steel.

The burning weapons cut through any armor the enemy was wearing. I saw a flaming sword cut through one man, covered head to toe in steel armor, like he was nothing. I saw a spear bury itself in the chest of some unlucky man and the fire spread throughout his body until he was engulfed in flames, screaming the whole time. Two enemy soldiers in particular stood out from the rest, they were covered in heavy plate armor and each wielded large war hammers. The two men managed to keep the soldiers back so none of the flaming weapons could touch them. I looked around at the carnage surrounding me until I found what I was looking for on the burnt body of an enemy soldier. I walked over to the corpse and reached for the bow in his hand but his quiver was empty so I walked over to one of his victims and pulled an arrow out of the bloated corpse. I took aim at the larger of the two men, still distracted with the soldiers, and released. The dull thrum of the bow along with the arrow was lost in the chaos. Then suddenly the arrow appeared in the larger man's chest plate. It was alight with flame and the man stared at it for a moment before trying to remove it with his hand. As soon as the hand touched it the metal glove started to melt and covered his now burning hand. The metal then started to melt around the area where the arrow was still buried. The man screamed as his skin melted and fused with the metal. His smaller friend could do nothing but watch as his larger friend's skin began to melt and pool at his feet until nothing was left but a horribly disfigured body. The smaller man took one look at the corpse of his friend and ran. The soldiers soon caught him and he joined his friend in death. The sound of men screaming as they burned filled the cavern along with the stench of burning flesh. Against such onslaught the enemy soldiers fell back and slowly but surely they were driven out of the cave.

After the enemy soldiers were gone I walked up to the soldier whose sword I had used and gave it back to him. One by one the fires surrounding the swords went out and the soldiers began the fun process of cleaning up. They dragged the corpses outside to burn and picked up any weapons they found and put them in a pile. Some of the men were assigned to search the cave and dispose of any hidden enemies and some were sent to keep a lookout near the entrance. When I was certain that there was no more for me to do I walked over to the Magister and looked at him. I never noticed that I was taller than him, he was still the tallest human in the room but I was about a foot taller than even him, I guess that had something to do with being locked up in a small cage. How badly was I hunch over? Not to mention I hardly ever stood up around him. He looked at me and smiled "Were you always this tall?" he asked, his voice full of amusement. I guess he was thinking the same thing I was. I smiled back "Were you always this small?" I asked. The Magister just laughed. "So" I asked "what now?" The Magister looked at me for a moment before shrugging "I don't know" he said.

While we stood there talking a soldier came up to the Magister and said "Sir, the entire cave has been searched and cleared of enemy troops. We also managed to capture one of their higher ranking officers. What do you want us to do with him?" the Magister thought about it for a few seconds before replying "Take him to the upper storage room for interrogation." The soldier nodded and ran off down the hallway. For the first time I noticed that the small area we were in was empty. All the corpses had been dragged outside and all the weapons were in a pile near the corner. The soldiers had all left, leaving me and the Magister alone near the watery remains of my cell. I could tear him apart if I wanted to and none of the soldiers would get here it time to stop me. The Magister noticed this too as he looked around the empty area but he didn't seem to care too much. I guess he does trust me. That has never happened before. "Well" said the Magister, breaking the silence, "What will you do now?" I looked down at him and said "I will try to find a way home". The Magister nodded a few times "Do you need some help doing that?" he asked. I was so shocked that I could do nothing but stare at him. Why would he want to help me? Was this some kind of trick to get to the others? He doesn't seem to be the deceiving sort. But why risk helping me? The Magister just stood there calmly waiting for me to speak. "Why would you want to help me?" I asked, still confused. The Magister shrugged his shoulders "Because it was the reason I came looking for you in the first place" he said "I knew that a creature as powerful as you are would only attract attention and if someone managed to get a hold on that power then bad things would undoubtedly follow. So when I heard the rumors I set out immediately to find you with the goal of sending you back to your own realm. Sadly, that proved more difficult than I thought. The one who summoned you here used several rare crystals in order to open the portal but as soon as you came through they all shattered and melted. I have spent hours searching for where he got them but there is no mention of any location." The Magister shook his head, looking frustrated "I managed to find his journal but he only described how he summoned you, not where to find the crystals he used to do the summoning." The Magister had begun pacing as he spoke "I don't know how to find them. He wrote down everything but the location of the crystals" Then the Magister stopped so suddenly I thought he might fall flat on his face "I might know one man who knows where to start looking but that is only if we can convince him to help. He does tend to be a bit pigheaded at times." Finally I had to step it and stop his unending argument. "So I guess this means you are helping if I want it or not" That shut him up and he shrugged "Do you want my help?" he asked. Not like I have much choice. "Yes" I said.

The Magister smiled "Well, I guess that means that we had better get moving. My men will get our supplies ready and we can leave." I nodded "Are you taking them with?" I asked. "Just two" he replied "Would you like to meet them while we wait?" I shrugged and followed the Magister as he made his way through the cavern. It was larger then I remembered. Although the last time I was in here I was a bit preoccupied wondering where the heck I was to notice much detail. As we passed through the many rooms the soldiers would stare and start to whisper amongst themselves. The Magister would comment on them when we left the room "They looked like a pair of gossiping old ladies" he would say.

Finally we found the men we were looking for. The Magister walked up to the soldiers and started talking while I hung back and watched. One of the men was large and heavily muscled. He had a long beard that covered most of his chest along with long brown hair on his head. He was wearing heavy plate armor with a lion mid-roar painted on his chest along with a large sword strapped to his back. The other man was small. Smaller than most men I had seen so far. He was bald and clean shaven, the polar opposite of his larger friend. He wore thick leather armor along with two daggers strapped to his legs and a bow across his back. They nodded as the Magister talked and eventually the Magister lead them over to me.

The smaller of the two looked like a child next to his large friend and it was hard not to smile at the differences between them as they approached. The Magister looked at the two men "These are the two who will come with us" he said gesturing to the two before pointing to the smaller one "This is Odo. He is the best scout we have and this" he pointed to the larger man "is Duncan. He is our strongest warrior and this, gentlemen, is Anjali" he pointed to me "our friend from another realm." The men stared at me but with amazement instead of horror. The larger of the two, Duncan, was the first to speak up "It is an honor to meet you. I understand we have you to thank for our victory." His voice was deep but not brutish like the Warlord Master's was. The smaller man, Odo, seemed to finally find his voice "Thanks for helping us out. We understand that you didn't have to but we do appreciate it." His voice was calm and quiet, almost hard to hear. I simply nodded to them "It was the least I could do" I said. The two solders exchanged a brief glance before smiling "Well," said Duncan "we had best pack our things. We'll meet you out front in an hour" and with that they turned and left.

The Magister chuckled "If you think they are odd now just wait until you see them out and about. They mean well though I have always wondered how two people like that meet and become friends." The Magister stood there thinking for a minute before shaking his head. "Well" he said "for now we had best get ready. This will be a long trip."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Anjali**

The light outside the cave was blinding. "Is it always this bright out?" I asked. The Magister looked up at the sun and said "It's mostly cloudy today so the sun will soon be hidden. I guess your little stay in the cave didn't help your eyesight very much." For a few minutes the sun blinded me but, like the Magister had said, it disappeared behind a large cloud and didn't surface again. We had walked only a few miles from the cave and it had all been up hill. Now that I could see I looked around the area.

We were standing on a large hilltop surrounded by grassy fields. On our left the grass stretched as far as the eye could see and in the distance you could see the outline of mountains. On our right there was a small cottage. The cottage was so small it likely had only one room. Outside they had a small farm, rows and rows of different plants all packed together into the small fenced-in area. On the other side of the cottage was a small horse barn. The barn was so small that only one horse could probably fit into it comfortably.

We ignored the cottage and continued on our way. Eventually the grassy plains were replaced by trees and shrubs. Orange and yellow leaves covered the path and every step made a loud crunching sound.

Eventually the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon rose to take its place. Duncan walked out in front holding a torch so the others could see. The Magister was discussing directions with Odo as they constantly pointed at the small map they had. I just stayed back and watched. I didn't need the torch to see where I was going so I hung back in the dark and looked at my surroundings. The trees were large with long menacing shadows that danced in the torch light. As I watched the shadow's silent dance I saw something in the forest dart between the trees. I slowed so I could get a better look.

A low moving shadow crept toward my small group. It was then joined by several others appearing from the trees and shrubs, as though the forest itself gave birth to them. The others must have noticed me staring because before long they noticed the shadows too and had drawn there weapons. Duncan had given his torch over to the Magister and now had his large sword gripped in both hands. Odo also had his two daggers out and ready, his eyes constantly sweeping the forest.

The shadows had stopped moving and were now watching us. They all stayed away from the light of the torch so they blended together and it made it hard to count how many there were. Eventually one of the shadows crept forward into the light and we finally say what it was that surrounded us. "Wolves" muttered Duncan as he looked at the beast. The wolf had long matted fur that stuck to its body and showed its ribs. It also had fur as black as night and large yellow fangs shaped into a snarl. It looked like it was the biggest wolf of them all and it had its gaze fixed on us.

Then, without warning, the shadows jumped into the ring of light and attacked. Several of the wolves jumped toward Duncan but he swung his sword and cut through them as though they were made of paper. A few wolves tried to slip around and attack him from behind but Odo appeared before they had the chance. The twin daggers cut through the thick fur of the wolves and sent them running back into the forest.

The largest wolf had turned away from the two warriors and was instead walking toward the Magister. So far he had managed to keep the snarling beasts at bay with his torch but the Alpha wolf didn't care about the light. He and his pack had managed to back the Magister into a tree and quickly surrounded him. The Alpha was ready to lunge at the man when I decided to finally step in.

I whistled loudly and the Alpha snapped his gaze to me. I was still standing alone in the dark and the wolf took one look at me and decided I was the easier meal. The Alpha turned and walked toward me along with the rest of the wolves. Only a few stayed behind, to intent on their pray to notice. The whole pack soon surrounded me but I wasn't afraid. I knew what would happen next. The Alpha jumped toward my throat, mouth wide and fangs flashing, but before he reached his prize my fist came up and smashed into his jaw. The beast went from jumping toward me to flying back from me in the space of a split second.

The Alpha now lay sprawled on his back trying to move his now broken jaw. The beast tried and tried but the jaw hung limply just barely attached to the rest of his face. The Alpha looked at me with a burning hatred few could match. The beast knew he would die without his jaw so he gave into his anger and lunged toward the strange creature that had caused him all this pain. The Alpha slammed into me and I staggered back a few steps. The other wolves saw this and rushed to take advantage of it.

One wolf sank his teeth into my left leg and another into my right. The Alpha was on his feet and doing his best to knock me down. He paced just outside of the ring of wolves waiting for an opportunity. I meanwhile was too busy dealing with the wolves to give him much thought. I swung at the wolf that clung to my left leg. His skull caved in under the blow and his body went limp. Then I aimed at the other wolf on my right leg but he had seen what had happened and ran off into the forest. The Alpha noticed this and gave an odd gurgling sound that was likely supposed to be a growl before turning back to me. The other wolves were still trying to snap at me and the Alpha saw his chance.

He lunged for my legs, attempting to trip me, but I saw it coming. I stepped back before the Alpha's claws reached me and kicked him in the ribs. A loud cracking sound filled the air and the Alpha flew backwards and landed on the ground with a loud thud. The remaining wolves took one glance at the Alpha's still body and ran into the forest leaving there injured, whining pitifully, behind. Odo went around killing the remaining injured wolves. Duncan and the Magister were keeping lookout in case the wolves came back.

I walked over to the Alpha and placed my hand on his matted fur. The beast had put up a good fight and I was honored to have fought him. As I kneel next to the once Alpha wolf his eyes open. The wolf was still alive. The Alpha turned his eyes to look at me and instead of anger in his eyes I saw pain. The beast was in a terrible amount of agony. I reached over and gently grabbed his head and, before more pain could come, I snapped his neck. The look of pain in his eyes glazed over and the beast was finally dead.

The Magister sat down next to me and stared at the limp beast in my hand. He seemed hesitant, like he wanted to ask me something but was afraid to. "Spit it out" I said "You obviously want to say something". The Magister looked surprised for a moment but then smiled "Well I do want to say something but I'm not sure how to phrase it". I turned to look at him in surprise. The Magister just shrugged "I suppose I'll just come out and say it" he said and turned to look at me "Thank you for saving my life". I was unsure of what to say so I stayed silent and just nodded. I laid the great wolf's head on the ground and closed his eyes. After a few seconds I rose and the Magister followed.

Duncan and Odo were both fine. They managed to escape with only a few bruises while the Magister had a slight cut on his upper arm. The two bite marks on my legs ached but didn't bleed. The wolves never managed to break the skin.

There may have been more of the hungry beasts in the area so we decided to push on to the nearest village. The sun was beginning to rise above the horizon when we saw the village. It was a good sized place with lots of small houses and a few farms. We stayed in the forest to plan our next move.

Eventually, after much debate, a plan was made. Duncan and Odo would go into the village and gather some supplies while the Magister waited further in the forest with me. The Magister was back to his happy chatty self and was trying his best to talk my ear off. When Duncan and Odo finally came back it was a relief because it meant he had someone else to chat with and I could sneak away to the far side of the camp for some peace and quiet.

After the supplies had been put away Duncan informed us that there was an inn near the center of the village. "It would be a safe and comfortable place to spend the night" he said. Odo nodded "It's as secure as they get in these parts and we won't have to worry about bandits slitting our throats in the middle of the night". The Magister thought about it for a few seconds before nodding "At the very least it will be warmer then sleeping outside" he claimed.

"What about me?" I asked. The others then remembered that I was a bit too conspicuous to walk around a village without giving people a heart attack. Oddly enough it was Odo who came up with an answer "What if we cover you with armor and sneak you in when it gets darker. There will be less people around to notice you then and we can use a hood to hide your horns."

The others agreed with the plan and sent Duncan into the village to find some armor. He came back an hour later with a set of leather armor and a hood made from black wolf pelts. Everyone smiled when they saw the hood and were thankful that it managed to hide my horns and most of my face. After I put the armor on they claimed I looked like a hunter. The thick leather clung to me like a second skin but at least it wouldn't draw attention. Duncan also got a bow and quiver to help sell the disguise. While we waited for the sun to go down Odo showed me how to make arrows for the bow using the items he keeps in his bag.

Sometime around dusk we started packing up our things and entered the village. Odo was right when he said there would be less people out at night, the village was practically empty, only a few people wondered about while the others were sleeping away in their homes. As a result we made it to the inn without too much trouble. The inn was only two stories high and the door leading to the second floor was so low that everyone except Odo had to duck under it. The Magister had gotten us a room just large enough for all of us to sleep in and even brought up some food. The mattress in the corner went to the Magister while Duncan and Odo rolled out there bed rolls in the corner. I sat with my back against the door and waited until they were all asleep.

Soon enough the soft sounds of sleep filled the room. The window in the room didn't let in much light but I didn't need it for I could see just as easily in the dark as in the light. Odo lay in the corner, silent as a mouse, while Duncan, lying opposite of him, snored louder than a bear. The Magister, lying on the mattress in the corner, was muttering to himself and here I was, sitting in front of the door unable to sleep. As I sat there my mind wondered. How would I get home? Who was this mystery man we were going to see? Why would he help me? Question after question with no answers in sight. What was it the Magister said 'If you never ask you never learn?' If that were true then should I ask him? Or just wait and see? Eventually my eyelids felt heavier and heavier and I slowly drifted off to sleep without ever realizing it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Anjali**

I awoke to a bright light. The sun was shining through the window and blinded me for a second before my eyes adjusted. As I looked around I noticed Odo was awake and trying to convince Duncan to do the same but the larger man was having none of it and kept his eyes firmly shut. The Magister was also awake but looked a little groggy as he sat on the mattress. After spending the next ten minutes hopelessly trying to wake Duncan up Odo walked over to me and calmly asked if I could set fire to the man's bedroll. Duncan's eyes flew open at that statement and quickly got up before I could answer. Odo simply smiled as Duncan packed his stuff, muttering the whole time.

As we headed down the stairs the large warrior forgot about the small door frame and smacked right into it. He quietly muttered a few choice words before moving on. As we left the inn I pulled my hood a little lower, hoping the sun at our back hid my face in the shadows. As we walked people began to point and stare at us as we passed. I wondered if it was because of having two armed men, a hunter as tall as a bear, and an old man in a blood stained mask walking through their village was considered unusual or because it was something new to talk about.

We ignored the gossiping people as we passed through most of the town but before we could reach the forest something happened. A little boy, maybe five or six years old, walked up to me. Since I didn't plan to run him over I was forced to stop. It seemed my hunter disguise was working because the little boy was asking me question after question about capturing and skinning animals. From his questions I assumed he wanted to become a hunter himself. I know how to hunt but I'm not sure if the same rules apply to this realm as they do mine so when Odo stepped over and answered for me I was relieved.

The little boy was relentless though. He kept asking questions and Odo was running out of answers. The Magister would be very proud of this little boy's curiosity but it was costing us time. I could see Odo was feeling the same but was unable to leave without being rude. Luckily for him I don't care if I'm rude. I turned to the kid "Look boy, we need to leave" I said impatiently before grabbing Odo's arm and pushing him forward. Odo shrugged before moving on with a relieved look on his face but as I moved to follow the boy jumped in front of me again.

I was very tempted to smack the kid but that would draw unwanted attention so I crossed my arms and glared at him. The little boy looked at the shadows that covered my face and asked in his squeaky little voice "Did something happen to your face?" I continued to glare at him as I answered "No". Sadly the boy was not convinced and stepped closer to see my face and what he saw there would likely haunt his dreams. The boy's eyes popped open and he stumbled back falling on the ground in his haste. His mouth opened but nothing came out as he scrambled up off the ground and bolted for a nearby cottage.

After that little scene we hightailed it out of the village as fast as we could. There were no signs of pursuit once we entered the forest so we slowed and looked at the map again.

The wavy lines and odd colors meant nothing to me but they clearly meant something to everyone else. They were pointing in all directions before one was finally picked. All the while I was standing off to the side making sure no one followed. Once I was sure none of the villagers would come running at us with pitchforks I turned and started to follow before something caught my eye. I turned and was knocked off my feet by a wall of fur. As I lay on the ground the furry creature charged toward me again but I managed to get onto my knees and roll out of the way. As I turned I finally got a look at the beast that was trying to kill me.

Its light brown fur blended perfectly into the trees around us which was why I had not seen it before. It was maybe ten feet away and was glaring at me with its big brown eyes filled with rage. The creature, which I believe is called a bear, circled around me looking for a weak spot. As it walked its claws, each as long as my finger, gleamed in the sunlight. The bear then stood on its hind legs, muscles rippling under its thick fur, and roared out a challenge before falling on all fours and running at me.

I dodged the clumsy attack and turned to see that the bear had already turned and was charging again. When he got closer he swung his paw at me, the long claws just missing my face, before swinging his head around to bite my arm. The teeth dug into the leather armor and even managed to pierce the skin. The beast swung me around a bit, his teeth digging further into my arm with every swing, before I managed to get a hold on his head. I dug my fingers into his eyes and the bear dropped my arm and began howling. The beast was swinging his head every which way and howling in pain the entire time. When it swung its head my way I could see why. The bear's eyes were melting.

What use to be big brown eyes were now drippy white blobs just barely attached to the sockets. The beast kept howling and scratching and swinging his head as if to rid himself of the pain. I decided to take pity on the poor beast and quickly jumped onto his back. The bear never noticed as I wrapped my arms around his neck and began to squeeze. By the time he did notice he was already unconscious and still I squeezed until I heard the loud snap and felt his neck give out underneath me.

As I got off the beast I saw Duncan and Odo running towards me with the Magister struggling to keep up. When they got closer they slowed and took in the scene. The large bear with a broken neck and melted eyes and me with a large bite taken out of my arm. They looked at each other and shrugged before turning to the Magister who had just arrived.

The Magister glanced at the bear before quickly looking away again. The crushed neck and still dripping eyes proved too much for him in the end and he ordered Duncan to move it further into the forest. Finally the Magister noticed the wound on my arm and moved closer to study it. I lifted my arm so he could get a better look and enjoyed the shocked expression on his face. The wound was almost healed and the Magister watched in amazement as the torn flesh knitted its self together and was made whole. Soon all that remained was a thin line of black blood slowly dripping away.

The Magister immediately began asking questions about my arm, which I, of course, ignored. Eventually he gave up and smiled "You would think I would have learned by now that you only talk when you want to and not when I'm asking questions". I smiled in return and we waited for Duncan. As we waited I couldn't help but think about the bear…how I melted its eyes. I was worried because I didn't mean to do that. I never even tried to call on the fire. Usually it came only when I commanded it to and never a moment sooner. I silently hoped that whatever caused it would never happen again.

Eventually Duncan came back and we all headed off. This time I stayed within view of the others as they walked. All too soon the sun began to dip below the horizon and the moon rose to take its place. Odo claimed that there was a town somewhere in this area so we split up and searched. As I wondered about trying to find signs of a nearby settlement I stumbled upon a bloody scene.

A large oak tree stood in the middle of a small clearing and tied to the tree was a man .The grass surrounding the tree was covered in a thick layer of blood and as I got closer I realized that the blood had come from the man's stomach. It looked like a large blade had slashed open his stomach deep enough to bleed but not deep enough to kill him outright. I moved closer to check for a pulse knowing there would be none. I walked around the tree and saw the thick ropes that bound the dead man and saw they were covered in blood as well. Whatever happened here was not good. I turned and run back to find the others.

With the torches they carried I managed to find them easily enough and told them what I had found. Duncan was angry when I finished while the Magister looked confused and Odo kept glancing around with a worried look in his eye.

I led them to the tree and stood watch while they studied the gruesome scene. I could hear Duncan cursing under his breath and the Magister muttering to himself but Odo was as silent as the trees.

Eventually we left the clearing and found a shallow cave to make camp in. Odo stood watch by the entrance of the cave while Duncan sat with the Magister further in. I searched the forest surrounding the cave to make sure we were alone. When I finished I searched the area around the dead man, hoping to find some clues, and found signs of a trail. I looked closer and saw it was a trail of blood. The grass had been pushed down, like something was dragged through it, and there were faint marks in the dirt…almost shoe shaped.

As I sat there, studying the trail and trying to see where it goes, I felt someone watching me. I quickly turned around to see a man crouching under some bushes. If not for my excellent eyesight I would have never seen him and as I stared at his hiding spot I saw who he was.

I turned back to the trail and spoke just loud enough for him to hear me "You can come out now Odo." There was a second of silence before he crept out of the bushes, barely making a sound, and came over to me. "How did you know it was me?" he whispered. "I saw you" I replied. Odo looked confused for a second before shrugging his shoulders. "You were late" he said "so Duncan took my post and I went out looking for you".

I pointed to the trail "Trying to find out what happened and stumbled along this. Do you have any idea where it leads?" I asked. Odo studied the trail for a moment before pointing north "That way" he claimed "They must have dragged him to that tree so we can't be far from where he was taken."

I nodded "Should we tell the others?" I asked. Odo immediately shook his head "We need to be quiet while we follow this trail. Duncan is a lot of things but he is not quiet. We would be better off just following this trail alone." He glanced over at me "You can be quiet…right?" I shrugged and said "If I can't I can follow you at a distance." Odo seemed happy with the compromise and set out north, following the trail like a bloodhound.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Anjali**

We followed the trail for a while before Odo took a shortcut. I was following a few feet behind him so when we passed by the trail I moved closer "Are you sure you know where you are going?" I whispered. "Yes" he whispered back "There is a small cliff up ahead and they would have had to go around it. We can cut our time in half if we climb it and pick up the trail from there."

I shrugged and let him move further ahead before following. It turns out I am not half bad at sneaking but hiding is a different matter. Trying to find a hiding spot for someone my size is not an easy task but at the very least my leather armor covers the bright red skin so it could have been far worse. As a precaution I stayed far enough back that if Odo sees anyone coming I can duck around a tree and, hopefully, blend in.

Odo found the cliff and waved me forward. "Do you think you can climb it?" he asked as I looked at the cliff. It was roughly fifty feet tall and was filled with holes and groves. It looked easily climbable so I nodded and off he went. As he climbed the cliff he looked like an insect when compared to the size of it. If we weren't following the trail of a dead man I probably would be laughing at how silly it looked.

When he got about half way up I began climbing after him. The holes and groves made the climb as easy as walking so I wasn't surprised when we reached the top of the cliff soon after starting. As I pulled myself over the edge I looked for Odo and found him searching for the blood trail. Soon enough he found it and took off with me following behind him.

As we followed the trail I looked up and noticed, through the thick canopy of trees, that the moon was almost gone. That meant that the sun would soon rise and any chance at stealth would be gone…at least for me.

As I worried about this Odo stopped and slowly waved me forward. I crept over to his hiding place in the bushes and dropped to my stomach so I wouldn't be seen. Odo was pointing at something beyond the trees so I crawled closer so I could see past the bush. At first all I saw was a large grassy field but as I looked closer I could see the distant outline of a town.

"We should get a closer look" Odo whispered next to me. "How?" I replied "There are no trees between here and that town and the sun will be rising soon." Odo was silent for a moment "Wait here while I get closer" he whispered before vanishing into the dark.

As I contemplated how he could vanish so easily I noticed something floating from the town. It looked like smoke as it drifted through the air. As it came closer the smell hit me worse than the bear had. I covered my nose as the smell of freshly burnt corpses surrounded me. I took a closer look at the town and could see the smoke coming from the center and, oddly enough, the sound of laughter reached my ears. It was not the happy kind either but the crazy kind and it came from the town. The wind brought the noise again and again until I thought I would never get the sound of that horrible laughter out of my head. The smell didn't help either as each gust of wind brought, both the sound and smell of whatever was going on in the town, back to me.

As I lay there, hiding under the bushes, I looked up at the trees that surrounded me. I noticed that the branches at the top of the tree were broken and most of the leaves had fallen off.

I remember the Magister told me that when the leaves turn orange and yellow that they will fall off the tree. But the leaves were green and only the top leaves had fallen off. Maybe wind? Did it get that windy here? If so, why only the top of the tree and nowhere else? An answer came into mind but it was so terrible, not to mention impossible, I pushed it to the back of my mind and refused to give it another thought.

As I turned back to study the village Odo suddenly appeared next to me. I had no idea how long he had been sitting there and my heart jumped at his unexpected return but I gave no outward sigh of surprise.

Odo looked toward the village as he told me what he had found. "The village has been overrun with bandits. It looks like they slaughtered everyone and are currently burning the bodies. They also appear to be drinking all the alcohol in the village to celebrate." Odo scowled as he said this. "We had best head back and inform the others. They might be part of a larger group, as I only saw maybe fifty of them. They also all had the same design on their clothes. It looked like a flame."

As one we turned and followed the trail back into the forest. When we reached the cliff Odo went first as I kept a lookout. When he finally reached the bottom I began climbing down. Well I guess 'climbing' is the wrong word more like jumping down. I jumped from side; quickly gaining speed as I used the handholds to slow my decent before hitting the ground. I managed to make it down in half the time it took Odo.

As I looked around I noticed Odo staring off into the forest. He appeared to be very occupied with his task and hadn't noticed that I was on the ground yet. I smiled as this opportunity for revenge showed itself.

I quietly walked over to him and stood silently behind him. After a few moments of staring into the forest he turned to see if I had made it down the wall yet and flew backwards when he realized I was right behind him. His face was filled with shock and disbelief. I allowed a small smile to creep into my face before gesturing for him to lead the way. Odo blinked in confusion, still trying to figure things out, before giving up and heading into the forest.

Eventually we made it back to the cave and as we got closer I could see Duncan peeking out, trying to see who was coming. When he was certain it was us he quickly waved us in and began to roll a large boulder in front of the entrance. When he was done only a sliver of light came through so Odo quickly lit a fire. It was a small fire and most of the smoke would disappear into the cracks in the ceiling so we didn't have to be worried about being smoked out.

As Odo told the group what we had found I moved further into the cave to explore. The cave wasn't very long but, after shifting some large rocks, I found a small cavern. Most of the cavern was collapsed so it was only fifteen feet across. The ceiling was twenty feet up and was covered in small sparkly rocks. The cavern looked like the night sky and the rocks looked like the stars as they sparkled. The whole effect was quite calming and very peaceful.

As I looked around I noticed the walls were covered with shiny crystals, some sharp and some dull. It gave the room a menacing look despite the beauty of the sky-like ceiling. I noticed one of the crystals was about a foot long and shaped almost like a dagger. I reached over and pulled it from the wall with a single tug. As I hold the odd weapon shaped crystal in my hand an idea comes to me.

I look back towards the entrance and listen. I can still hear the others talking and I wonder, briefly, what it is they talk about all the time but then I remember that I don't care.

I sit down on a boulder with the crystal in my hand and close my eyes. I feel the slick surface beneath my fingers and call on the fire deep inside me. It answers with a rush of power and I throw that power into the crystal, hoping it will absorb it and not blow up in my face. A few seconds later and all the power has been absorbed into the crystal. As I open my eyes and look down at it I am not sure what to expect.

The crystal now glowed a bright orange before diming. The light then began to flicker like that of a flame and as I looked closer I noticed it did have a flame on the inside. It flowed through the whole blade lighting it up before diming and starting all over again. It almost behaved like a heartbeat. When I set it down on the boulder the flame went out and the crystal dulled back to its original color. When I touched it with my finger the flame came back and consumed the inner part of the blade. I smiled before grabbing the blade and heading out of the cavern.

 **OK, if any of you think I should continue writing this story please just let me know. Also please give me some constructive criticism...I wont know how bad it is unless you tell me! Thanks :)**


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